Mat and heel protector



Nov. 5, 1946. H. HURFORD. I 2,410,412

' MAT AND HEEL PROTECTOR Filed Feb. 17', 1945 M MWS Patented Nov. 5, 1946 UNl'i'ED srarss PATENT OFFICE MAT AND HEEL PROTECTOR Herbert Hui-ford, Chicago, 111.

Application February 17, 1945, Serial No. 578,527

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel and improved protector which is expressly designed and constructed to function as a protective shield for a floor mat such as is used in automobiles, and the like, and as a guard for protection of leather and rubber lifts on the shoe of the driver.

It is a matter of common knowledge that that portion of the floor mat which serves as a resting spot for the heel of the driver usually wears out first, this about 2 or 3 inches from the base of the foot accelerator. The average driver usually employs about the same foot position each time when driving and therefore the mat is soon not only worn but punctured. Due to vibrations of the car, the sharp edges of the heel plus the weight soon causes a penetration and a hole through the mat. Then the ragged edges, plus moisture, grit and dirt accumulate in the hole and in time it becomes a place of scuffing and undesirable wearing of the shoe heel and even the shoe itself.

In carrying out the principles of the invention I have in mind a simple and expedient auxiliary pad which serves as sort of a mound on the mat, said pad being moulded of rubber cured to a hardness to resist wear yet resilient enough to absorb shock.

Also, in carrying out the principles of the invention, I have evolved and produced a pad-like protector whose surface is so constructed as to provide proper facilities for accommodating the inclined heel, or that portion of the edge of the heel which usually rests in a slanting position against the mat. This is accomplished by having a riser formed into the protector pad, said riser defining a recess, and the recess serving to accommodate the heel of the driver.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a heel and mat protector constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end view, that is a view which is seen in a direction from the rear of the car.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the plane of the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view, this on a small scale, showing the fioorboard, accelerator, mat, pad and the manner in which the protector pad is used.

The protector pad, which is of rubber or equivalent stock, is denoted, as a unit, by the numeral 5. Looking down on it from the top it is of general rectangular form. It is so moulded, however, that the bottom is fiat as at 6 whereas the top is mounded to assume the form and configuration fairly depicted in the drawing. That is to say, the marginal edge portions 1, 8, 9 and ID are all beveled outwardly and downwardly to render .the perimeter portion substantially flexible. This allows said portions to conform more or less to irregularities in the mat and facilitates attachment of the pad to said mat. The central portion is of general U-shaped form as indicated at II, this including a bridge 12 and a pair of extensions 13 at right angles thereto. The surface or edge l4 provides sort of a stop shoulder and keeps the shoe heel from slipping off the protector pad, that is in a direction toward the front of the car. The U-shaped mound II defines a receptacle Or recess to accommodate the heel and the bottom of this is tapered downwardly and rearwardly as indicated at 15. The walls l8 merge into this slanting bottom 15. In addition the bottom I5 is provided with a groove ll which opens through the outer marginal edge for drainage purposes. The groove 11 forms sort of a shallow trough with a gradual slope from the center to the outer edge and this aids in keeping the central portion of the receptacle clean and causes grit and dirt to gravitate out onto the floor mat due to vibration.

This little device is easy to stick on the floor mat as the bottom or base is completely covered with a layer of raw cushion gum to provide the desired tackiness. It is only necessary to clean the place on the floor mat with rubber solvents or naphtha, and then it is roughened with a coarse wire brush or sandpaper such as is used in tube repair kit. Then the user applies a coat of vulcanizing or cold pack cement and allows to dry about ten minutes and the pad is stuck in place and ready for use.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty sufficient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

What I claim:

1. A protector pad for shoe heels and floor mats .3 of the class described comprising a rubber pad adapted to be attached to the mat at a predetermined point, said pad being flat on its bottom, having a beveled outer relatively flexible marginal portion, and the top of said pad being provided with a single recess for reception and accommodation of the shoe heel of the user, the

bottom of said recess slanting downwardly and outwardly toward the perimeter edge.

2. A protector pad for shoe heels and floor mats of the class described comprising a rubber pad adapted to be attached to the mat at a predetermined point, said pad being flat on its bottom, having a relatively flexible marginal perimetal portion, and the top of said pad being provided with a recess for accommodating the shoe heel of the user, the bottom or said recess slanting downwardly and outwardly toward the rear perimeter edge, the forward edge of said recess being fashioned into a straight across vertical shoulder to provide an anti-slipping heel abutment. 7

3. A protector pad for shoe heels and floor mats of the class described comprising a rubber pad adapted to be attached to the mat at a predeter- 4 mined point, said pad being fiat on its botttom, having a relatively flexible marginal perimetal portion, and the top of said pad being provided with a recess for accommodating the shoe heel of the user, the bottomof said recess slanting downwardly and outwardly toward the perimetal edge, the forward edge thereof being fashioned into a straight across vertical shoulder to constitute an anti-slipping heel abutment, and the side walls of the recess merging into the slanting bottom and converging in respect to each other to facilitate self-cleaning and drainage of said recess.

4. A protector pad for floor mats and shoe heels comprising a substantially rectangular rubber body having a bevelled outer marginal portion and a central mound, said mound constituting a U-shaped riser, said U-shaped riser defining a heel receiving recess, the bottom of said recess being inclined downwardly and outwardly toward the rear marginal edge of the body and having a tapered groove, said groove opening at its outer end through the adjacent marginal edge portion of said body.

HERBERT HURFORD. 

